About Our Red Angus Cattle Program
Building a Legacy of Excellence in the Flint Hills of Kansas
Our cattle program is built on decades of ranching in the demanding Flint Hills of Kansas. Commercial cattlemen at heart, we focus on the same traits that make our customers money. That means predictable, profitable genetics that thrive on low inputs and low maintenance.
We believe in putting in the time and effort to produce quality cattle that commercial cattlemen can depend on. No shortcuts or cutting corners. Explore our program to learn more about how we raise our cattle and our bulls.
Watch the video below to learn more about our program.
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Our Breeding Philosophy:
Focused on Maternal Traits
In our program, we have very high expectations of our cows. That’s because we believe that to make money with a commercial cow herd, maternal traits are three times more important than terminal traits. Our cows calve unassisted in large pastures, raise a calf, and maintain their breeding status in the herd, all with minimal inputs.
Phenotypically, we select for moderate-framed, easy-fleshing individuals with a lot of natural thickness. We focus on calving ease, maintenance energy, and stayability EPDs without sacrificing the carcass qualities that so many cattlemen need.
Red Angus and Red Sim-Angus Bull Development:
Built for Longevity
We develop our bulls for soundness and longevity. Our bull development pens sit on 30 acres of an old, abandoned rock quarry. Bone structure and hard feet are necessities on the uneven ground and rocky ledges. This environment shapes our bulls into rugged, athletic, and sure-footed breeders.
After the fall calves graze the winter months on fescue with their mothers, they summer graze on Flint Hills grass until almost a full year of age. This is a much slower growth development process than other breeders may use. As a result, you will notice that our weights might be lower than other bulls that have been pushed at a feed bunk.
Likewise, the spring-born bulls that are offered in the fall sale are grown on a slower grower ration throughout the winter and then graze summer Flint Hills grass where they slick off and learn to travel.
This slower-paced development of our bulls increases bone density and strength. This prepares the bull to breed season after season and pays off through longevity.
Our Approach to Data-Driven Genetics
We strive to provide our customers with as much data as possible. This produces the most accurately described genetics possible. To do this, we diligently record the following:
- Birth weight
- Weaning weight
- Yearling weight
- Disposition scores
- Foot observations
- Ultrasound data
- Growsafe intake date
We also collect data on all our cows at weaning time for weight, body condition score, hip height, and feet and udder evaluation.
We use large contemporary groups that stay intact as long as possible which allows us to accurately represent data for each specific trait. In addition, all of our EPDs are enhanced with genetic testing. We want to make sure that when you invest in genetics from Mushrush Ranches, you know exactly what you are going to get!
Merging Genetics and Environment
Good ranchers look at how their genetics interact with their environment. At Mushrush Ranches, we have implemented conservation and grazing strategies to extend our grazing seasons and lower our input costs, all while preserving the last intact tall grass prairie in the world.
To keep our pastures in the best condition possible, we mimic the conditions that maintained the prairie for thousands of years. We burn each pasture an average of two out of every five years, depending on the pasture and environmental conditions. We rely on the dormant grass for grazing until the fresh grass starts in April.
We depend on proper grazing management to imitate the grazing patterns of the large, unrestricted herds of old. During the active growing season, we maintain our management groups of cattle as large as possible. We rotate them through multiple pastures to intensify the grazing period and provide rest time for regrowth. As the protein content of the grass drops in the fall, we supplement protein to allow the cattle to graze as much as possible. To implement this, we are continually pushing the boundaries of technologies, including being one of the first ranches in the country to implement Virtual Fence Collars.
The collars, stockpiled fescue, bale grazing, and other strategies are not only building our soil but also adding grazing days to the Ranch. We think this is the model for the “next generation” of ranching and are aggressively building genetics that can function this way.